Filled one-piece soft gelatin capsules (“softgels”) have been widely used for years to encapsulate consumable materials such as vitamins and pharmaceuticals in a liquid vehicle or carrier. Because softgels have properties which are quite different from two-piece hardshell capsules, softgels are more capable of retaining a liquid fill material.
Not all liquids may be enclosed in a softgel capsule. Liquids containing more than about 20% water by weight are generally not enclosed in softgels, because the water tends to dissolve the gelatin shell. Other solvents such as propylene glycol, glycerin, low molecular weight alcohols, ketones, acids, amines, and esters all tend to degrade or dissolve the gelatin shell to some extent.
Softgels are also somewhat sensitive to pH, and generally require a pH in the encapsulated liquid from about 2.5 to about 7.5. Highly acidic liquids may hydrolyze the gelatin, resulting in leaks, while basic liquids may tan the gelatin, resulting in decreased solubility of the gelatin shell.
Pharmaceutical liquids are usually enclosed in softgels as either viscous solutions or suspensions. Suspensions are pharmaceutically less desirable because they can settle during manufacture, which leads to a less uniform product. In contrast, solutions provide the best liquid form for obtaining optimal “content uniformity” in a batch. Further, solutions typically provide a faster and more uniform absorption of an active agent than do suspensions.
Suitable softgel solutions, however, can be difficult to achieve. One constraint is size. Many pharmaceutical agents require volumes of solvent too large to produce a softgel capsule small enough to be taken by patients. The solvent must also have sufficient solvating power to dissolve a large amount of the pharmaceutical agent to produce a concentrated solution and yet not dissolve, hydrolyze or tan the gelatin shell.
Concentrated solutions of pharmaceutical agents for use in softgel capsules have been described. Most of these systems involve ionizing the free pharmaceutical agent in situ to the corresponding salt. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,615 to Yu et al. discloses a solvent system for enhancing the solubility of acidic, basic, or amphoteric pharmaceutical agents. The solvent system comprises polyethylene glycol, an ionizing agent, and water. The ionizing agent functions by causing the partial ionization of the free pharmaceutical agent. U.S. Pat. No. 6,383,515, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0187195, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2001/0007668 to Sawyer et al. discloses pharmaceutically acceptable solutions containing a medicament suitable for filling softgel capsules comprising a polymer such as polyethylene glycol and an acid salt of a compound having three or more carbon atoms, such as sodium propionate. The salt helps to ionize the medicament without relying on the use of strong acids or bases. U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,382 to Berthel et al. describes a pharmaceutical formulation suitable for filling softgel capsules comprising (a) a therapeutically effective amount of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID); and (b) a solvent system comprising 40% to 60% by weight a polyoxyethylene ether, 15% to 35% by weight of glycerin and 15% to 35% by weight water. In cases where the NSAID has a carboxyl or an acidic functional group, the solvent system also includes hydroxide ions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,961 to Shelley et al. describes a method for increasing the solubility of acetaminophen alone or in combination with other pharmaceutically active agents to form a clear solution for encapsulation into a softgel capsule. The method comprises solubilizing acetaminophen in a mixture of propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, water, polyvinylpyrrolidone and sodium or potassium acetate.
The previously described methods all involve the conversion of the free pharmaceutical agent to the corresponding salt. In cases where the free pharmaceutical agent is acidic, the resulting anion can react with the polyethylene glycol in the fill to produce polyethylene glycol esters, thus reducing the amount of available pharmaceutical agent.
There is a need for a solvent system containing a medicament, which can be encapsulated in a softgel capsule, wherein the formation of PEG esters is minimized.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a stable solvent system for pharmaceutical agents, which is suitable for encapsulation in a softgel capsule, wherein the formation of PEG esters is minimized.